Many of you know that one of my favorite kitchen gadgets is my Paderno spiral slicer. Almost immediately after purchasing it, I lost all desire for wheat noodles. I admit to sometimes dreaming about gnocchi or homemade ravioli, but a pile of regular noodles? Nope. All gone. It comes down to this…If I FEEL like I’m eating noodles and what I’m eating has delicious flavor, then I’m good! It’s pure comfort in a bowl, slurpy goodness, noodley satisfaction.

I also happen to love Asian flavor combinations, so when I came across the Cold Sesame (Cucumber) Noodle salad over at The Clothes Make the Girl, I was ecstatic. I have made that very recipe a number of times and even shared it with friends. But if you like to cook, which I of course do, then you often look at recipes as a template and begin making modifications until the recipe becomes your own. That’s what happened with this one.

While I love having salads on the side, sometimes I’m looking for a one-dish meal that comes together fast and makes me feel like I’m special. This one does exactly that! Canned salmon is probably my favorite of the canned fish, but it’s a bit pricey, so I don’t eat it all the time. Here, its rich flavor marries perfectly with the sesame and ginger – it really can’t be beat. I love the kick that fresh ginger gives this dressing and the lemon makes the whole dish sing.

You can add all kinds of vegetables to this too! I used bell pepper, but snap peas or even steamed green beans would be nice. If you’re making this just for one, save half the dressing to whip up another salad even faster tomorrow.

Cucumber Noodles with Salmon

Salad

2 cucumbers

salt

2 cans of salmon (I used boneless, skinless like this)

1 bell pepper, thinly sliced

4 scallions

1/4 c. cilantro, chopped about 1 Tbsp.

1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil or more to garnish

Dressing

1 Tbsp. almond butter (no sugar)

1 Tbsp. sunflower butter (no sugar)

1/2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated or minced

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 tsp. coconut aminos

1/2 tsp. rice vinegar

Juice from 1/2 a lemon, about 2 Tbsp.

1/4 tsp. salt

Directons

1) Peel and julienne your cucumbers. Either use a spiral slicer, a peeler, or just slice very thinly with a knife. Place in a strainer over a bowl or in the sink and salt generously. Leave to sit about 10 minutes.

2) Put all your dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Set aside.

3) Add the bell pepper, scallions, and cilantro to a bowl. Drain the canned salmon and add it to the veggies. Rinse the cucumber noodles thoroughly and shake off any excess water. Add them to the bowl, pour the dressing over everything, and toss thoroughly. Plate and drizzle with sesame oil. Add a pinch of salt, if necessary, and slurp away!

Serves 2